another week begins

Last week was a work-busy week.
Looks like this one is going to follow suit.
Mom's condition has stabilised if not improved very slightly.
Maybe I am just getting used to seeing her 'new-look'.
The main thing is she remains happy and thats whats important.

The family house deal with youngest brother might be finally settled this weekend.
All the siblings plus mom will be getting their cheques.
I feel more sad than happy.
I grew up in that house. All of us did.
Too many memories.
The good thing is that it still remains with one of us.
We can still visit.

As it is my life is full at the moment.
But so many times I find myself feeling empty inside.
I find that I have to 'manually' focus myself on the good stuff.
There really are so much good happening in my life inspite of the few sad worrying stuff.
Maybe I have just been working too hard.

BP

My mom has a new condition. A paralysed right face. Its called Bell's Palsy.

We initially thought she was having a stroke but thank god, it was not.

Bell's Palsy does not kill. At least thats what the internet says.

U are basically disfigured for a period of time.

Mom has been told that there are three possibilities - total reverse back to normal, condition remains permanently or lastly, gets worse.

I guess the doctors want to play it safe by making that statement. They cant go wrong if they state all possibilities, can they?

Its been a week now. The conditon has not changed.

She has been put on medication once again

The doctors now recommend physiotheraphy.

Anything. We'll try it.

Mom has been great about it.

She is still full of confidence and high in spirits.

Still her usual self.

Me? I try to keep a happy and brave face especially around her.

Alone in my condo, I did break down once.

I cried my eyes out, worrying about her. Worrying about me without her.

When big challenges come our way, its normally followed by big rewards.

I tell mom that.

My siblings rally around her.

I am alot closer to my mom now.

We are already getting our rewards.

Mystery of the Missing Keys

I havent posted for a few days.
Lots of happenings.
I lost my house keys, realising it when I reached the office and was about to place my car keys into my keys compartment of my bag.
I concentrated on work but also chose to leave early because of the lost keys.
I searched and searched. No luck.
Luckily I do keep a spare set at my sister's house a couple of roads from my condo.
I got into my condo with the help of the spare keys.
I immediately changed the padlocks from the balcony grill to the front grill.
At least then if anyone found the keys they will not be able to get in!
I went to the management office to enquire if anyone had from the keys. None.
I searched the garbage room in case it was dropped as I was throwing the trash that morning.
Still no luck.
I drove to Mom's for the weekend, stopping at a nearby mall to duplicate my spare keys.
It was difficult to get a parking lot but luckily I managed to find one.
Then I found that the shop had moved.
I asked around. Someone suggested I check out behind the mall.
I found it. It was actually the same key maker- he just moved shop.
I duplicated all the keys.
I bought a new designed padlock. All that cost me $$$!
I had a headache by the time I got to mom's.
Next day I drove mom to my condo to change the old padlock to the new one.
Upon reaching the condo I found that the new set of keys missing!!!
Not again! Mom said look into ur bag...u might have a hole in it.
I did.
Yes there was a tiny hole. I put in my fingers.
I found the new set of keys. I made a bigger hole to look for the original missing keys.
Who knows, maybe I would solve the mystery of the missing keys . But no such luck.
The missing keys were not there.
It did result in me needing a new bag after that though (I DID but a new bag later that weekend....but thats another story!
We all spent the night at my condo.
I was happier but I still had a headache days after from the stress.
Fastforward 5 days later.
I was on my way to work when I thought of buying me breakfast.
I drove to the shop I had last driven to on the day I lost my keys.
It just occured to me to ask the girl at the shop if anyone had found a set of keys the week before.
She took out a bunch of keys....other people had also lost keys....I even saw a car key there.
There it was!
My set of keys!
As baby D would say it...I found it!!!!
My own little miracle.
If I had not suddenly feel like breakfast or had I not asked..... the keys would not have been found!!!

house

Its terrible that I now find that I am allergic to seafood like prawns, squids and crabs.

I never used to have any problems and I actually did not like them when I was growing up.

Then I changed. I developed a taste for certain types of cooking that involved crabs and prawns. I like the Chinese style of frying the squids.

Then the rotten thing happened.

I got rashes and spots on my face.

I cant eat the now (in my mind) delicious sea food.

I gotta eat veggies and fruits.

I dont mind eating a small portion daily.

I dont crave for these so called healthy foods.

But I shall eat them in order to lok good.

I clean the condo almost every other week.

I vacumn. I mop.

Generally it remains quite clean.

The longest I have left it uncleaned is when I am away on vacation.
Sometimes I think about getting someone who comes in to do my cleaning.

As it is, I can manage so I have not.

As u can see I have not much ideas to write about today.

But I am still doing so.

I am a little bored.

I am a little lonely.

JAR is on his journey back to his home from his business trip.

Throughout his trip we have exchanged several text messages, a few phone calls.

I am still waiting for the note that says he has arrived home safely.

Canada, East side

2009 is moving at quite a pace!

JAR's in Canada for a weekend trip before he goes for a meeting in New York.

Second sis's second son is going away to boarding school in a week's time.

First sis's first son should be completing his degree in a few months.

I have just been appointed chairman of a committee for some investigation work

I am still half way through in quite a number of projects.

I have many plans in my head for the next vacation (May/June)

I have gotten me a visa to visit Canada as part of that preparation.

WOW!

I need to cathch my breath!

Actually I have been to Canada once before.

When we visited the Niagara Falls in 2007, we all stayed at the Canadian side cos it really is much prettier than the USA side.

From my hotel room I could see the falls, the fireworks on the weekend nights.

That was a beautiful time in my life.

My youngest brother once said that he wanted to go there for his honeymoon (at that time he was engaged) but that relationship did not work out.

He found a better person and married her.

I was instead the lucky one who got to see Niagara Falls with MY friends.

For my next trip i hope we could go on the eastern side of the country.

If anyone has any notes/stories /etc about Vancouver, please drop me a comment.